


Hair Care

by shy__violet, StarBlazerM31



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Intrusive Thoughts, RP, Self Harm, hair cutting, rp fic, self harm mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:02:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26288455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shy__violet/pseuds/shy__violet, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarBlazerM31/pseuds/StarBlazerM31
Summary: Julian comes home early and helps Iris finish something she started. Some surprises--and lots of love!--ensue.A bit of angst-slash-hurt/comfort bc i've been Going Thru It lately. StarBlazerM31 offered to help me work thru some things via rp and generously played Julian to my MC Iris.
Relationships: Apprentice & Julian Devorak, Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Julian Devorak/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 19





	Hair Care

Julian Devorak whistled a jaunty tune to himself as he strolled down Red Street. In his hand he held a package of dandelions, carefully wrapped and sealed in brown paper. He knew these to be his beloved Iris' favorite flowers, but also that the petals made a splendid tea. That tea could also be turned into jelly, and he _loved_ dandelion jelly.

His heels clicked against the cobblestone street a bit faster as he caught sight of the fabric shop. In just mere moments, he would be in Iris's arms, and the stress of the day and the clinic would melt off of him like snow at the first sign of spring. He gave his signature rap on the door before opening it wide. His senses were met with the scents of dye baths and the vision of so many colors and textures of Iris' hard work. "My flower? I'm hoooome!" he called out merrily.

“Oh—uh, upstairs, Jewel!” Iris called back, not expecting Julian to be home quite so soon. “I’m in the bathroom.” She bit her lip, fidgeting and nervous as she looked in the mirror. “Could you come give me a hand with something, actually? And,” she paused, taking a deep breath, “I need you to save any questions you have for after.”

Julian's made a quizzical face. He ascended the stairs to the apartment above, placing his parcel down on the table. He shed his heavy black coat and hung it on the coat rack. He then pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into the pocket. He walked down the tiny hallway and paused right before the bathroom door. With a sly grin, he asked, "Are you decent, my dear?"

“I have a shirt and skirt on, if that’s what you mean,” she said, giving a nervous titter. “Before you come in, I want you to know...everything’s ok, and I’m all right.” Iris looked down at the towel in the sink; she still couldn’t quite believe what she’d done. “But, uhm. You’re gonna be. Surprised.”

Julian's brows shot up. If Iris was alright, why did she clearly sound uneasy? "Um...alright...I _do_ like surprises..." He stepped into the doorway.

“Surprise?” Iris said, turning to face him as he entered. Behind her, the sink was littered with dark teal hair, two long, thin braids of it resting on the countertop next to her hand mirror. The bulk of her hair was pinned to the top of her head in a bun, but the sides—the sides were messily shaved down. “I can’t see well enough to finish...could you clean up the edges for me?” She gestured to the sink where a pair of clippers sat.

Julian's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Wow...that's...that's a change," he said, leaning forward to examine what Iris had done. He pondered the situation thoughtfully, tilting Iris' head this way and that. He gave her a charming grin. "Well, you told me to refrain from questions, so I will for now. But in the meantime..." He picked up the clippers and rolled his sleeves back, taking position behind Iris. "Alright darling, tilt your head forward for me?"

“Thank you, darlingest,” she said softly. She moved as he asked, but not before favoring him with a shy smile and a gentle squeeze on his hip.

Using the precision that only a doctor could have, he carefully sculpted the edges of Iris' hair, gently flicking the remnants into the towel. Once satisfied, he moved to her right side, repeating the action, and the same to her left. With scrupulous eyes, he examined the work carefully before setting the clippers down. Gathering up another towel, he dusted stray hairs from Iris' shoulders. "There we are, my flower, all crisp and clean." He grinned at her lovingly.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “Thank you, Julian,” she repeated. She held him tighter. “Thank you.”

Julian nuzzled into the messy bun atop Iris' head. "You're very welcome, dearest." He gave her forehead a kiss. "Now, am I allowed to ask questions?"

“Yes—ask away.” She gave him a kiss under his jaw in return. "What brought on this change?" he asked. He ran his lithe fingers over the shorn areas, taking in the new feeling against her scalp.

Iris leaned into his touch, her fingers woven into the loose fabric of his shirt above Julian’s waist. “It’s. Kind of hard to explain, and parts of it aren’t pretty.” She blew out a breath, rested her cheek on the bottom of his sternum. “My...it’s. Fuck. Ok—my intrusive thoughts, the self-harm ones have been. Really intense lately.” She tightened her grip on his shirt. “They took a lot of forms, but one that kept coming back was shaving my head. I’m not sure why; maybe it’s because I have so much hair or because it’s hard to brush or the sensation and weight are just too hard to deal with on bad days or because it’s a way to self sabotage and make myself look as bad as I feel, how my brain tells me I deserve to look.” Trembling where she stood, Iris took a few deep breaths. “And. I had all the things I would need to do that. But I knew it wouldn’t make me happy, that I would regret it if I did it.”

Julian gazed down at Iris, his expression turning from mirth to concern. "Darling...I had no idea...you never said anything..." He wrapped his arms around Iris tightly and held her. He simply held her there for a long moment, hoping that his arms would make her feel protected, loved. But he knew those thoughts, how they invaded even the most peaceful moments with their whispers, prods, suggestions. His heart truly ached for his beloved. "Know this right now, Iris," he said. "You will never look bad to me, no matter what. I know how those feelings get, how they drag you down and make you feel like you're nothing, like you deserve nothing but the worst." He pulled her chin up so that she could look into his eyes."But believe me when I say that it isn't true. You're perfect, no matter what you will always be perfect to me."

He undid the bun atop her head and let the dark teal curls cascade down her shoulders."This just makes you look perfect and unique," he said. "We'll take this bad feeling and turn it into something wonderful, alright?" Iris looked up at him, beaming, eyes shining with tears, but she looked. She looked happier than he’d seen her in ages.

“That’s exactly why I did it, Jewel,” she said, grinning, shaking out her hair as it fell. “The impulse not to do it was too hard to ignore anymore. Too loud, too persistent. So I gave in. But I gave in in a way that makes me happy. I feel so good right now. I have less hair—less weight, less of it to feel and to wash and to care for,” she said calmly, but her voice was bright and excited. “I can still put it in a bun or a braid if I want. I can get designs trimmed in the sides. I can have fun with it! I feel _good_ , Julian!” She was repeating herself, but she didn’t care. Iris kissed him again and again, any part she could reach.

Julian laughed, his face turning red at Iris' kisses. He slipped his arm around her back and dipped her down slightly so that he could kiss her back deeply, then smiled against her lips, giving them one more peck before pulling her upright once more. He looked at her reflection in the mirror with a pondering expression. He swept her curls over to one side. "Here, we have the mysterious woman, gazing at you from across the ballroom..."

He bunched the hair into a ponytail. "And here we have the staunch warrior, ready to protect and defend the realm from invaders..."

He swept the curls forward to rest on either shoulder. "And here...we have the moon maiden, beckoning you into a world of dreams and fantasies..."

Iris laughed, taking Julian’s hands in hers, wrapping his arms around her as her hair fell to frame her face in wild waves. She tilted her head to smile up at him. “And which would you have me be right now, my darlingest?”

Julian nuzzled into Iris' neck, inhaling her scent. "I'd prefer my beautiful, wonderful, brave, perfect Iris. That's all I want."

“You’ve got me, Julian—for now and always."


End file.
